Johnson Doubts Irish Would Accept Rematch

October 24, 1988|By RANDALL MELL, Staff Writer

CORAL GABLES -- Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson says he would like nothing better than a bowl game against Notre Dame, but he doesn`t expect it.

``I think not only people here in Miami but also most people nationally would like to see a Miami-Notre Dame rematch,`` Johnson said Sunday. ``I doubt seriously if Notre Dame would be interested in that. Maybe they would, but I have a feeling they would not like that.``

The feeling is that Notre Dame has already defeated the `Canes, so why play them again, especially since it was such a close and controversial game and the rematch wouldn`t give them the home-field advantage.

Irish coach Lou Holtz, concerned about the hostility in the rivarly, called for next year`s game in UM to be dropped. No way, UM said.

The Fiesta Bowl, with no conference commitments, would be the most likely setting for this unlikely high-profile rematch. Notre Dame, ranked No. 2, upset former No. 1 UM 31-30 in South Bend two weeks ago. The `Canes are now No. 4.

``The loss has gotten to be the driving force for us now,`` Johnson said. ``When you win as much as we have, you forget how it feels to lose. The bitterness of the loss could drive this team to get better.``

-- The `Canes were sharp in Saturday`s 57-3 win against Cincinnati. They rolled up 481 yards of total offense and held the Bearcats to 104, including 4 yards rushing.

``I was pleased with the performance, especially in some of the areas we were concerned about,`` Johnson said. ``Our running backs protected the football better than what they had in the past, and I was pleased with the secondary.``

The secondary, though, wasn`t significantly tested. UM had six sacks for minus-47 yards. Bubba McDowell was switched from free safety to cornerback with freshman Charles Pharms starting at safety in a shakeup last week. Sophomore Robert Bailey also played extensively at free safety and sophomore Roland Smith at cornerback.

``McDowell had an outstanding game at cornerback and so did Bobby Harden at free safety,`` Johnson said.

-- Junior quarterback Steve Walsh is mounting an all-out charge on the school touchdown passing records. Walsh, who completed 19 of 23 passes for 286 yards and tied a school record with five touchdown passes Saturday, has 13 touchdown passes in the past three games.

Walsh`s 19 TD passes are seven short of Bernie Kosar`s record in 1984. His 38 career touchdown passes are third, 10 short of Vinny Testaverde`s mark and two short of Kosar`s second-place total.

Walsh, a Heisman candidate behind front-running UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman, is 123 of 203 for 1,747 yards with six interceptions. That`s an average of 20 of 34 for 290 yards.

-- Johnson said he didn`t expect any of the three players injured against Cincinnati to miss Saturday`s game at East Carolina. Cornerback Don Ellis left the game with a sprained right knee, tight end Mike Pigza with a sprained left ankle and guard Luis Cristobal with a sprained left ankle... Center Rod Holder (knee), who missed the last three games, played as a backup Saturday. Johnson said he probably is not fit to start against East Carolina. Bobby Garcia will start in Holder`s place again.